Just got back from a short 2 night stay in Kailua-Kona. Vog was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, similar to how it has always been. That would still keep me from staying in that area if I were on vacation.

As for building on lava fields, go to google maps, and zoom in very close to the Kalapana Area. There you will see what it looks like when people rebuild on lava fields. To each their own, but I would rather be homeless with a shopping cart, just about anywhere else in the world.